Snow Day Activities.

Snowy Day

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School is closed and there is nowhere to go, what can you do when you are surrounded by snow?

School is cancelled and your kids have built their snowman, thrown snow balls, enjoyed sledging and drunk their hot chocolate. Now they are complaining they are bored. So what can you do? Trips to the usual places are not accessible, many places like libraries close during inclement weather and who wants to drive in the snow unless you have to? So you need something to keep them occupied that you can easily resource and put together quickly.

Hedbanz game

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Jigsaw puzzles, Card games and Board games

These are the usual go to activities and things you have readily available at home. There are lots of games that can be accessible for all ages. The game Hedbanz for example does not require any skills. Players do not need to be able to read to play and it is fun for all ages. You can play team against team, have a game marathon or race to finish the puzzle.

If you have exhausted your own supply of board games and puzzles it is easy and fun to make your own. Jigsaw puzzles can be made easily by enlarging photos to copy paper size on your printer. Kids can draw puzzle shape pieces on the reverse side of the paper, cut them out and then swap with each other to complete they puzzle. Kids enjoy making puzzle pieces with their own faces! Board games can be as simple or compicated as the children want. Using a known format such as the game Candyland, children can use their current favorite theme to create their own board games. Horses riding over jumps, ponds and haystacks to get to their stable full of carrots, soccer players dribbling their ball through, over and under obstacles to get to the goal are just 2 examples of ways to create a simple board game.

jigsaw

Snow Themed Craft/Painting

There are a multitude of crafts that you can create along the theme of snow. The internet is full of ideas ranging from the traditional cut out snow flakes, which only need printer paper and scissors, to elaborate models of snow scenes using recycled materials. Another popular craft is play dough or modeling clay. This is both fun to make and play with.

How to Make Playdough

Ingredients

Method

1 cup of water

1. Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.

Decorated gingerbread cookies

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Baking

Baking is a favorite snowy day past time. Cookies or cup cakes are always popular and there are many family friendly recipes to be found. Decorating them with frosting, candies and/or decorations allows kids to add their own personal touch.

Put on a Play or Dance

Kids love to dress up, act out plays, choreograph songs and dances. On a collaborative project like this there is a job for everyone. Scriptwriter, costume designer, actor, dancers are all important roles.

Build a Fort

A fort can be made out of anything. Chairs, blankets, tents all lend themselves to building great forts to eat a picnic in, camp in and tell jokes, read books or just hangout.

Service Project

There are lots of community service projects you can do from home. Making cheerful cards to be delivered to a local nursing home or elderly peoples home on an alternate day can be easily done and can brighten up someone's day. There are specific organizations such as Color a Smile who have printable coloring pages you can print off and mail back to them. They distribute these in a variety of ways such as including them with meal deliveries to the elderly.

There are also organizations such as amilionthanks.org who forward letter, cards and prayer messages to military personnel serving home, abroad or injured in hospitals.

There are many other opportunities to give service in this way, many of which can be found by searching online.

Science Experiment

Kids love to do experiments and many of the supplies needed can be found in your kitchen cupboard. A good example of this is 'Blobs in a Bottle' featured on sciencebob.com. Bob poses the question such as :

1. Does the temperature of the water affect the reaction?

2. does the size of the bottle affect how many blobs produced?

3. Does the effect still work if the cap is put on the bottle?

4. Does the size of the tablet pieces affect the number of blobs created?

These sorts of experiments can be adapted to the age/ability of your child. There are many more examples available online or in books.

You will Need

What to Do

a clean 1 liter clear soda bottle

1. Pour water into the bottle

3/4 cup of water

2.Use a measuring cup or funnel to slowly pour the vegetable oil into the bottle until it is almost full.

vegetable oil

3.Add 3 drops of food coloring.

fizzing tablets such as Alka Seltzer

4. Break fizzing tablet in half and drop half in. Observe.

5.5.add second half to keep the effect going.

Blobs in a Bottle from www.sciencebob.com

Make your Own Book

Kids love to make their own books. These can be done simply by folding a few pieces of printer or construction paper and stapling down the center. This activity is particular suitable for all ages and interests. It can be a picture book, story book, information book about a favorite topic/sport, a cartoon strip, a play script, the possibilities are endless. You could also create the family newsletter or magazine, with specific jobs for individuals, reporter, editor, illustrator etc.

In conclusion, there are many ways to keep busy when the snow forces you to stay inside. All theses ideas can be carried out with everyday items you have at home.

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